According to a story published in the Wall Street Journal, Google continues its development of the GPhone, a new prototype mobile phone that could be available to consumers within a year. The Journal cited "people familiar with the plans" who claimed Google is showing the prototype to mobile phone manufacturers and mobile carriers. So far, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless have been the only two carriers approached by Google.

The company already has invested "hundreds of millions of dollars" into the project, according to Journal sources. Users will likely get a free subscription because Google plans to bundle advertisements with several of the phone's applications.

Even though Google services are already available on a number of phones, this report indicates a further expansion into the world of mobile phones.

"What's interesting about the ads in the mobile phone is that they are twice as profitable or more than the nonmobile phone ads because they're more personal," said Eric Schmidt, Google Chief Executive.

Google still refuses to turn over any solid information about the possibility of a Google mobile phone, but has said it is is working on products that can be used on mobile devices.

While the popular Apple iPhone relies heavily on initial sales from the $499 or $599 price tag, Google would collect revenue dollars through various advertising channels.

In an official statement published by Google, the company neither confirmed nor denied the reports of a GPhone. The company admitted it is working with mobile phone carriers and phone manufacturers, but did not go into specifics.

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I do, I admit it. Even though as of late the result sets are more and more bogged down with crap (much as Yahoo, Lycos, and the others did right at the dot com bubble burst) but I still use it.

My biggest problem, would be the lack of... privacy concern this company has for its users. It has stated, time and time again that its primary goal is to collect and assimilate the world's data, to better improve your life. They have a wonderful track record with this... for instance, they totally threw out what is almost assuredly this country's greatest achievement, the US Copyright system, and instead feel they are above this. Another fun adventure into the land of the Borg would be the broadcasting of private citizens activities, in a recorded fashion, for all the world to see. (I believe the shot of the San Francisco lady's thong sums this up pretty well.)

For years *Nix/Mac users have ragged on MS people for exhibiting certain... Borg like traits... but who really is doing this more? Google, or Microsoft?

I love the free enterprise idea of phone use paid for by ads, as this model has worked quite nicely on TV (though cable was supposed to be commercial free... that did not last long, then again, it did not on XM either....) but, the idea of allowing this company to get THAT connected to my life is not for me.

It plays out like a bad sci-fi movie... computers becoming self-aware and then taking us all prisoners to live in plastic bubbles as batteries for their machines. Yikes. If they knew everything about you, your buying traits, what you say when talking to your girlfriend, or what movie you like/disliked, think of the valuable marketing tools these could bring.

With the 700 MHz network, and a nice little waiver you sign when you use it, suddenly your life is not so private. Google already participates in market research projects, voice (and video) recognition projects, text search projects, mail system projects, document library projects; heck it even has its own banking system. This is a company whom I distrust more and more. The more products they come out with, the more I distrust them. It has nothing to do with the quality of the product, but rather that they all are created by a company who has limitless pockets, and clearly stated intentions to bring Orwell's 1984 to a reality.